Use Your Hand as a Direct Line to Your Brainstorming Power

I like to brainstorm to get away from my oft-complaining Inner Roommate.  My "Inner Roommate" is that critical Inner Voice that every single human being on the planet has talking in their head.

You know, the nagging voice in your head. 

I call him the Inner Roommate because I have to get along with this voice and not hate nor dismiss him. But he's the one who stays up late, doesn't have a job, eats my food from the fridge. But still I have to get along. He’s there for a purpose - when he tells me 'Good Advice' - to keep me safe by having me reflect thinking my imminent actions. But that’s precisely why he doesn’t want me to take ANY action!

Each and every action involves some degree of risk to mind or life and limb, so no action means absolute safety. No action means absolute safety - but that's not life!

I use mind mapping to get away from this Inner Roommate, put thoughts onto the page and bring my great ideas to life.  Once on the page, I can shift, change, shape, edit, connect, cut out, enhance and more. 

This is Kinaesthesia which is enormous Power right in your very Hand. Proprioception (PROH-pree-o-SEP-shən), also referred to as kinaesthesia (or kinesthesia), is the sense of self-movement, force, and body position. It is sometimes described as the "sixth sense". This "Touch" aspect of humanity has a powerful sensory and motor connection to the mind and the heart. I read this article in Psychology Today called "How the Mind-Body Connection Works" which said:

An essential aspect of this growing understanding is the realization that our proprioception sense (our mapping of where we are in space) is deeply connected to our thinking on topics and in ways that don’t seem aligned. For example, if you want to improve your memory, the best thing you can do is climb a tree.

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You read that right. To improve your memory, climb a tree. What’s the connection? If you make your brain work harder, continually updating where it (and the rest of you) is in space, then it seems to work harder to encode the memories it is making as it does so.

The human hand is enormously complicated and used for writing, music, sculpting, comforting, thinking, fighting, exploring and much much more.  You - like I did - probably take your hand for granted in its versatility, complexity, responsive nature and simple awe-inspiring use. Examine the hand for a moment to realize how its structure is stunning.

Now, just think of the method and manner by which your hand informs your brain on a daily basis. Why do I want you to do this? I want you to increase your awareness of your hand. In our meditation practice (which I encourage you to do every day even for 10 minutes), we become more aware of our physicality and the connection from our ever swirling mind to our body. More on this later, but for right now, appreciate your hand.

One one day, becoming more aware of the skill in my hand, I had used it (partial list) in this way:

• Typed this blog

• Stroked my cat's ear for both their pleasure and mine

• Rubbed my chin to detect whiskers

• Alleviated an inch (numerous times)

• Tapped my fingers when impatient

• Used my hand to tighten a screw with a screwdriver

Countless other uses during the day. Musicians have a particular trajectory toward brain growth.

Kinaesthesia is all about getting hands-on with information, learning through touch and movement. If you're a kinesthetic learner, you'll thrive with on-the-job training, building simulations, and hands-on experiments. You learn best when you can engage with your environment and move your body. Forget sitting still and listening passively - kinesthetic learners are all about being active participants! You prefer to work through problems by trying things out and testing theories, rather than just accepting what someone tells you. The more practical the info, the better - you're not one for abstract concepts. 

Martial Arts training is highly kinesthetic, pushing us to learn from the feet up.  Believe you me, I did not grow up particularly athletic and had to learn these skills.  Writing, same.  Filmmaking, for sure.  Grab a camera and shoot a documentary of your well-loved dog.  You will learn more in that ten-minute documentary with kinesthesia.

Guidelines

1. Notebook

Start with a Grid Paper Notebook - not a single line notebook. This notebook is how I approach my own Creativity and Work. You can often buy these notebooks in six (6) packs for the sake of economy.

2. Handwriting

Now, I personally like the feel of the paper, the pen, the free flow connectivity of my hand to the notebook. I advocate that you keep, develop and maintain this connectivity of your person with your own Life Material in your Scholar Warrior Path. My strongest learning takes place when I utilize Kinesthesia (using our hands and muscles) to write down notes and doodle as compared to complete computer usage.

3. Pen

Pick a pen, pencil or even markers that feel good in your hand. A nice writing instrument – much like having a nice guitar, paintbrush or tool – means that you will enjoy the technique, effort and final creative work. My favorites are the Pilot G-2 07 &10 pens. You might also consider using an old fashioned pencil with a good eraser. I find that using a pencil allows me to be flexible and move ideas around to make better connections and gain further insights into my own 

Brainstorming. I really like the feel of this blue and black Pilot G2-#10. Much like a painter's brush, this pen makes me want to write. You will finnd such instruments connect you happily to undertaking an action or project. If you are Do-It-Yourselfer, the you know that the right tools help with the job. Don't settle for an instrument that you took from the dentist's office.   

Do not be cheap and arbitrary.  Be specific.  Go to a store and try the pens.  Get one box.   This is your scalpel, brush, chisel and more in creating your life. 

4. Mindmapping

Have you ever struggled with organizing information? 

Think of mind maps as your new best friend!  

Much better than the Inner Roommate who eats all your food in the fridge and watches silly reality shows all day long.  And never vacuums!

Mind maps are a fun and visually stunning way to categorize information into a hierarchy, allowing you to see how different pieces are related. Start by drawing a central concept and add associated ideas, such as images and words, branching out from there. You can even create mind maps by hand during lectures or meetings. They're the ultimate tool for organizing your thoughts and getting creative juices flowing. Keep in mind, mind maps are also known as spider diagrams.

Remember: You are Writing about Your Life – give it a fine instrument.  And New Thinking.